Construction Worker Sues Disney World Over Injury

A construction worker has sued after he says he was injured in 2016 when a ditch he was digging at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom collapsed on him.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that Robert Howard and his wife, Terra Howard, of Citrus County, have filed a lawsuit against Disney, MLC Theming, and Total Demolition Services that is seeking more than $15,000 in Orange Circuit Court.

Howard — who is not a Disney employee — was working on the ditch to lay the foundation for new animal cages at the theme park. His attorney, Michael Damaso said Howard was injured as a result of a dangerous condition on the premises, an unsafe worksite.

Neither Disney, Total Demolition Services, nor MLC reported any injury around March 11, 2016, to OSHA, according to a federal database.

However, only the most serious injuries — such as work-related fatalities or inpatient hospitalizations — are required to be reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA’s regulations state: “All employers under OSHA jurisdiction must report these incidents to OSHA, even employers who are exempt from routinely keeping OSHA records, due to company size or industry.”

The Sentinel’s report said MLC Theming did not return a message for comment and Total Demolition Services — which was listed as an inactive business since 2017 on SunBiz — could not be reached.